Feed device for a machine producing reinforcement wire nettings



- SCHOCH FEED DEVICE FOR A MACHINE PRODUCING Aug. 12, 1969 H.

REINFORCEMENT WIRE NETTINGS FiledMarch 13, 1967 Dummy United States Patent US. Cl. 140-113 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device making reinforcement wire nettings in which one reinforcement iron at a time is fed transversely to its length in a direction somewhat inclined downwardly to a position on a horizontal base plate where spaced parallel space-r wires are fed horizontally and in the direction of their length under the reinforcement iron and are connected thereto by two U-shaped loops formed in the spacer wires to both sides of the reinforcement iron. These loops are twisted together over the reinforcement iron and the latter is then moved by horizontally reciprocable members from the machine in a direction opposite to the initial feed direction of the reinforcement iron in cooperation with an abutment which is movable within predetermined limits and determines the distance of the reinforcement irons from each other in the wire netting.

- The invention relates to a feed device for use with a machine for manufacturing reinforcement wire nettings for concrete in which at least one layer of spaced parallel bending resistant reinforcement irons are connected to each other by flexible distance pieces, e.g. wires, intersecting the reinforcement irons, and are held in place by intertwined U-shaped loops formed by said wires.

The feed device according to the'invention is characterized by reciprocable members employed for moving the reinforcement irons connected to the spacers from their connecting position, which members cooperate with at least one movable abutment assuring that the reinforcement irons are caused to move opposite to their feed direction. p

. The invention will 'be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: a

FIG, 1 shows diagrammatically aside elevation view of the feed device according to the invention along the line II of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 2 shows diagrammatically a view of said feed device along the line II-II of FIG. 1.

The device diagrammatically illustrated in the drawing comprises a horizontal base plate to which are fed over an inclined feed plate 11 the reinforcement irons 1 which are to be connected with each other by spacers Z such as wires.

The drawing illustrates also that in addition to the reinforcement iron 1 which lies on the inclined feed plate 11 ready to be fed to the connecting station, there are two more reinforcement irons 1 and 1", of which the right hand one 1 is already joined to the spacer 2 which in the following will be referred to as wire, but which may also be made of a plastic, while the left hand reinforcement iron 1" is just being in part encircled by two U- shaped loops 3 and 4. FIG. 2 illustrates only one wire 2 while, of course, there are provided a number of wires, namely one for each knotting point or work station, the latter being serially arranged along the longitudinal direction of the iron 1".

In the illustrated embodiment the U-shaped loops 3 and 4 are arranged in a plane which is perpendicular to 3,460,588 Patented Aug. 172, 1969 the reinforcement iron. This plane may, however, also form an acute angle with the reinforcement iron, particularly an angle of The wire 2 extends from a supply spool 12 along the top surface of the base plate 10 and passes underneath a brake 13. The latter consists of a bar or a plate 15 acted upon by a spring 14 and has the purpose of keeping the wire tensioned. A brake, such as a spring brake, acting directly upon the supply spool 12 would serve the same purpose. The wire 2 would then pass underneath a stationary abutment jaw 16 which is arranged on the left hand side of an opening 17 in the base plate 10 and has on its right hand side a nose 16 which guides the reinforcement iron 1" and prevents at raising of the same from the base plate 10 during the formation of the loops. Adjacent the guide or abutment jaw 16 on the base plate 10 are arranged horizontally reciprocable members in the form of horizontally slidable bars 48 which extend parallel to the wire 2 on the plate 10. The front ends of the bars 48 (the right hand ends in the drawing) are forked so as to grip reinforcement iron 1". Each slidable bar 48, of which only one is shown in the drawing, is acted upon by a spring 52 tending to pull the bar backward into the position as illustrated and to hold it in engagement with a stop 53. For the operation of the slidable bars 48 are provided cams 47 fixedly attached to a shaft 49 and rotatable therewith. The slidable bars 48 engage the cams 47 by means of rollers 54.

On the right hand side of the aforementioned opening 17 is disposed a movable abutment jaw 18 which may be moved from its operative position illustrated in solid lines through another opening 19 in the base plate 10 into an inoperative position illustrated in dash lines. The abutment jaw 18 is axially slidable on a shaft 18' about which it is swingable. The operating mechanism for this movable jaw 18 is not illustrated in detail, but the jaw 18 in its inoperative position 18 is positioned in a different plane, i.e. perpendicular to the axis of rotation 18', than in its operative position.

On the top surface of the base plate 10 is further arranged another movable stop 20 for the rod 1 already 10 by means of a link 55 within predetermined limits.

Perpendieularly above the center between the jaws 16 and 18 is arranged a device designated inits entirety with. 21 which serves to intertwine or twist the U-shaped loops 3, 4V and to press them down on the reinforcement iron 1".

For forming the loops 3 and 4 are provided two plung ers 24 and 25 which are independently operable by eccentric rollers 22 and 23. The eccentric-rollers 22 and 23 are operated by eccentric discs 26, 27 offset to one another in such a manner that first the right hand plunger 25 is moved upwardly to form the loop 4 and then the left hand plunger 24 is moved upwardly so thatalsothe loop 3 is formed by pulling up the wire 2. The eccentric discs 26, 27 are mounted on a shaft 29 driven by bevel gears 28. The plungers 24, 25 may converge toward the top.

The production of the U-shaped loops 3, 4 by means of the plungers 24, 25 has the advantage that even when using thin wires or the like for the spacers, a secure and dependable guidance of the spacer and clearly defined loops of uniform shape are obtained. The secure guiding of the spacer during the formation of the loops 3, 4 as well as the closed ears is of vital significance, particularly for spacers having a circular cross section. Heretofore it was not possible with wires or spacers of circular cross section to avoid disturbances during the formation of loops when passing over unguided stretches.

For twistingthe loops and pressing them down on the reinforcement iron, there is provided a twisting tool 21 such as is described in the Swiss Patent No. 560,625. A tool of this type serves simultaneously as a pressing means and is provided at each knotting or twisting station.

With regard to the advancement of the reinforcement iron 1 on the inclined feeding plate 11 it should be noted that this plate has an opening 45 adapted to receive a movable stop 43. In the illustrated position the stop 43 rotatable about its axis 44 is holding the iron rod 1 back. Upon a pivotal counterclockwise movement of the stop 43 the iron rod 1 is released and slides downwardly into the knotting position.

The aforedescribed device operates as follows:

In the illustrated position in which a reinforcement iron 1' has already been connected to the wire 2, the wire 2 extends over the top surface of the base plate away from the spool 12 under the brake 13 and passes below the stationary abutment 16 and continues to extend over the openings 17 and 19. The movable stop 18 is in its inoperative position. By operating now the movable stop 43 a reinforcement iron 1 is released and slides along the feed plate 11 downwardly into the knotting position. Now the jaw 18 is moved into its operative position illustrated in solid lines in the FIGS. 1 and 2 in which the reinforcement iron 1 to be intertwined with the wires 2 is held securely between the jaw 16 and 18. Thereupon the abutment 20 is moved by the link 55 from the solid line position into the position illustrated in dash lines which determines the distance between the the reinforcement irons 1' and 1" in the netting to be produced. Subsequently, the plunger 25 moves upwardly for the formation of the loop 4. Simultaneously it pulls the already tied reinforcement iron 1 against the abutment 20 now shifted to the left hand side, and takes the released portion of the spacer wire 2 for forming loop 4. Since this portion of wire 2 will not suffice therefor, a further piece of wire is taken from spool 12. After the loop 4 is completed, the plunger 24 also moves upwardly to form the loop 3, wire 2 being taken exclusively from spool 12. The reinforcement 1 is thereby supported by a piece of wire 5, while on each side of it a loop 3 and 4, respectively, is disposed.

The tool 21 now takes over and performs a twisting of the loops in a manner not described in detail and the pressing of the same against the reinforcement iron. Thereafter the movable abutment jaw 18 is pivoted into its inoperative position 18". At the same time the abutment 20 is pivoted from its left hand position illustrated in dash lines into its right hand position. The moving of the abutments 18 and 20 may be performed in common by a single-element. At the same time the cams 47 are pivoted whereby the slidable bars 48 are displaced against the action of the springs 52 from left to right such a distance that the reinforcement iron just connected to the wires 2 comes to lie behind the abutment 20 in its right hand position. The displacement of slidable bars 48 is, hence, greater than the length of the path by which abutment 20 has been pivoted back into its right hand position from its previous position. Subsequently, the cams 47 are either automatically or by the action of a spring returned into their starting'position as illustrated in the drawing, thus making it possible for the slidable bars 48 to return to their initial position.

By means of the aforedescribed device it is possible to connect the reinforcement irons 1 to the wires 2 at very short distances, for instance 4 to 6 cm., and to vary the spacing within the given limits as determined by the adjustment of the abutment 20.

What I claim is:

1. A feed device for use on a machine employing wire spool and having a base plate and slidable bars thereon for producing reinforcement wire nettings for concrete, in which at least one layer of spaced parallel bendingresistant reinforcement irons are connected together by flexible spacers, such as wires intersecting the reinforcement irons, and areheld in place by intertwined U-shaped loops formed by said spacers, said device comprising means for reciprocating said slidable bars on said base plate for feeding the reinforcement irons connected with the spacers from the intertwining position, a first and a second plunger for forming the U-shaped loops, said slidable bars being adapted to move a completely tied part of the reinforcement'netting beyond an abutment on said base plate and the plungers adapted to produce the U-shaped loops from the spacer wire, wherein spool, the space 'wire for the second plunger being pro-' vided exclusively from the wire spool.

2. A feed device according to claim 1, wherein said abutment is pivotally disposed on a link, there being provided means for infinitely adjusting said link, the distance between the reinforcement irons to be connected to the spacer wires being infinitely variable thereby.

3. A feed device according to claim 1, including a first and a second abutment jaw, said jaws pressing the spacer wire onto said base plate during the forming of the loops.

4. A feed device according to claim 3, including a lever pivotally mounted adjacent said base plate having said first abutment jaw arranged thereon, said lever causing said jaw to be pivoted to an inoperative position during the advance of the reinforcement netting.

' References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS E. M. C OMBS, Assistant Examiner Us. c1. X.R. 29 211 

